Social Housing Issue - Bathroom Adaptation

quest4me2

Quick background information.

My elderly father has been a tenant in a sheltered housing flat for 9 years. In January 2021 he was approved by the local council and an occupational therapist for a disabled facilities grant (DFG) to have a wet room installed as his current walk in shower with step was no longer suitable for his needs.

He was placed in band 3 meaning the work should be completed within 372 days. In August I challenged the band as I felt he should have been placed in band 2 from the offset and he was moved to band 2, but to this day no one has confirmed what the timescale is for band 2 despite me asking.

There have been screw ups from both the housing association with delays in approving the work last year and the council this year getting the grant signed off.

The builders have told me now, yes they have the tender for the work, but can’t give an approximate timescale for when they will start due to a shortage of building materials and lots of jobs which where previously delayed. To add, we had no choice over the builders as the council went with the cheapest quote out of three.

The problem I have is dads current shower cubicle leaks water as the door seal is faulty and apparently beyond repair. We’ve been really good with the estate manager in trying temporary fixes to avoid them having to replace the current shower cubicle door given that the bathroom is due to be ripped out, this started last August with them putting a longer shower curtain in, but it made no difference and due to the height of the new shower curtain it took most of the light off the shower cubicle, so was removed.

We are fully aware the landlord doesn’t want to spend money as according to the estate manager to replace the shower cubicle would cost £1000 - I don’t believe this for one minute given the entire new bathroom is costing less than £6000.

My issue is dads had a series of falls in his current shower both getting in due to the step, and getting out due to the water collecting on the floor from the leaky shower cubicle. We’ve tried putting towels down to soak up water but this just caused the issue of dad trying to pick them up and extra washing costs. His most recent fall, he badly bruised his shoulder, and he struggles to get up when he falls, he lives alone but does have careline installed.

I have mostly communicated with the estate manager via email and the building surveyor and informed them all about dads declining mobility and falls but no one seems to want to do anything to fix the issue and I am getting flustered and concerned for my dads welfare, thinking soon it will be one fall too many and he’s going to end up in hospital.

Should I push the landlord to replace the shower cubicle given they have a duty of care to their tenant. I did email the estate manager last week when I’d heard from the builders as she wanted to know when they were started but she’s not bothered to reply despite being in this week. Am also getting no response from the building surveyor and case officer at the council. 

Should I complain to the council given they have gone way over the target time?

I know from the housing association this is about money, the estate manager said as much when speaking to her.

I should add another neighbour recently had their bathroom replaced by a DFG, different builder and it’s took approximately 12 months since approval for them to have the work completed. Although I respect they had different needs to my dads so may have taken a higher priority.

I am just genuinely concerned for my dads welfare.

We have tried to move and dads been on the adapted housing registration since the OTs visit but has got no offers on properties I’ve bid on for him. 

Any help gratefully received.

HampshireH

Follow their complaints process and do it in writing both the HA and the Council. 372 days have passed so it should be done.

£1000 for the replacement I can believe this. It's high but not unimaginable depending on what it actually is.

The choice of contractor is not anything they need to offer you. They will have a tender process or contacts in place.

Likewise the neighbours being done in 12 months isn't really relevant as like you say you don't know ther circumstances/need.

Go back to the OT and ask for their support to push this through. That's what they are there for ☺️

Dad sounds adequately housed so won't be a priory for rehousing on the bidding system.

quest4me2

HampshireH Thanks for your reply.

I have now raised a complaint with the housing association (dad's landlord) on the unacceptable delays they have caused in handling paperwork relating to the DFG, endless issues and the lack of responsibility and duty of care in repairing the leaky shower cubicle doors. Going through my emails it is obvious they were more concerned over expense than welfare of their tenant.

I was in the process of raising a complaint with the team within the housing association / local council who deal with the DFG's also and the timescale they have gone over, when I got a call from a manager (seems I ruffled a few feathers making enquiries this morning about the complaint process) who has asked me to forward the email on to him from the builders about the delay and agreed it's not acceptable to continue to wait. They seem to have an in-house building team with little work on and can perhaps outsource the job to them in as little as a few weeks! So for now I have opted to not proceed with the complaint about them and we will see what happens, it sounded very promising, and we are obviously not bothered who carries out the adaption work so-long as it's as close as possible to original specification drawn up by the building surveyor.

I'll come back with an update when I know anything else.

dimbo61

When they start the work please make sure they install a drop down shower chair.
One which is bolted to the shower wall and can be lowered down if Dad wants or needs to sit down while showering.
Our Dad loves his 

quest4me2

dimbo61 said:

When they start the work please make sure they install a drop down shower chair.
One which is bolted to the shower wall and can be lowered down if Dad wants or needs to sit down while showering.
Our Dad loves his 

They are doing this, although he does already have one with this current shower set-up attached to the wall. He wouldn't be without it. The only reason the shower is being changed by a DFG is because it's not level access, it has a step into it, which my dad can't manage anymore, but when he moved in 10 years ago he could.

RoseBerni

my advice if they hold you up anymore 
go to your MP and local counciller don’t bother with there in house complaints 

you will probably be surprised at what wasn’t possible suddenly becomes top of the to do list
councils and HA hate having to respond to MPs & Councillors as they can’t !!!!!! there way out of their legal obligations 

 

TBagpuss

RoseBerni said:

my advice if they hold you up anymore 
go to your MP and local counciller don’t bother with there in house complaints 

you will probably be surprised at what wasn’t possible suddenly becomes top of the to do list
councils and HA hate having to respond to MPs & Councillors as they can’t !!!!!! there way out of their legal obligations 

 

I'd do both - in house complaint following their process and referencing you original complaint and the fact that it was not proceeded with on the basis of the assurance that the matter would be dealt with promptly, nd ASLO go to your MP. 

Is the floor tiled? If so, then would a non-slip bath mat help as a temporary solution, rather than putting towels down?

I'm thinking of the kind designed to go in the bath tub, they normally have suckers on the underside and a slightly rough surface on op so you don't slip when standing on them with wet feet.
https://www.mobilitysmart.co.uk/extra-long-bath-mat-white.html - this kind of thing (maybe more than one, depending on the size and shape of the room.

It's not ideal as you'd still need someone to mop up the leaks, but it might make it safer for your dad to move in nd out of the room, and the mopping could wait until there's someone there to do it (and your dad might be able to use a long handled mop to get any water off the surface of the mat once he was dressed. 

quest4me2

RoseBerni said:

my advice if they hold you up anymore 
go to your MP and local counciller don’t bother with there in house complaints 

you will probably be surprised at what wasn’t possible suddenly becomes top of the to do list
councils and HA hate having to respond to MPs & Councillors as they can’t !!!!!! there way out of their legal obligations 

 

I have raised a complaint with the housing association now.

I could contact my MP, but to be honest having tried to use her before, she's not much help!

quest4me2

TBagpuss said:

Is the floor tiled? If so, then would a non-slip bath mat help as a temporary solution, rather than putting towels down?

I'm thinking of the kind designed to go in the bath tub, they normally have suckers on the underside and a slightly rough surface on op so you don't slip when standing on them with wet feet.
https://www.mobilitysmart.co.uk/extra-long-bath-mat-white.html - this kind of thing (maybe more than one, depending on the size and shape of the room.

It's not ideal as you'd still need someone to mop up the leaks, but it might make it safer for your dad to move in nd out of the room, and the mopping could wait until there's someone there to do it (and your dad might be able to use a long handled mop to get any water off the surface of the mat once he was dressed. 

The floor has a non-slip type of flooring, but it's 20 years old, so not in great condition and certainly no longer non-slip. He does have normal bath mats (fabric) to put down but they just get soaked.

Dad does mop up the water with great difficulty, I don't live near so when he showers at night he has no choice but to mop the floor, but carrying the bucket is a struggle for him, he can't leave it till I'm there because he uses the toilet during the night, and this would pose a risk of him falling.

The team responsible for the installation have not yet got back to me regarding the promise of an alternative builder, will give them till a week on Monday and if I hear nothing, I shall be raising a complaint with them also, like I was going to last week.

His housing association have acknowledged my complaint, so that's a start. 

quest4me2

Update, the housing association complaint has now been assigned to three different people, talk about passing the buck.

This included the estate manager and I said no, it was a conflict of interests her dealing with it as she has already said, it's not in her remit to deal with adaptions and aids. Thankfully, she also refused to take on the complaint after speaking to her manager, and so it has been assigned to two others. I am not happy that my complaint was shared with her to read, given the content of it.

As for the team responsible for the DFG, I have heard nothing after speaking to the head of customer care more than a week ago, so will now be raising a complaint with them, and will email my MP to get them involved also, as I am desperate to get some answers, not only is this affecting my dads welfare, it's having a real knock on effect on my own mental health as his carer.

Dad's housing association are blaming the other party and the other party are blaming dad's housing association, and dad's manager duly told me if the people doing the DFG change builders, they have to submit new plans to the housing association, thus causing more delays!